Faithfully, He Waits
by Darkened Void
Summary: AU Zutara oneshot. Zuko is separated from the woman he loves for a period of time and we get a look inside his head. Dedicated to my awesome girlfriend. Love you babe!


**A/N:** This is a one-shot I would like to dedicate to my girlfriend. She is off training with the Army at the moment and has been for the past three months. The fifteenth is our five month anniversary and this story goes out to her. I can't wait to see you again, babe. I love you.

P.S.: I know I said I would not do this, but I am once again eating my own words. :P

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar or any of the characters associated with the show.

**Faithfully, He Waits**

Fire Lord Zuko sighed as he longingly gazed out of one of the windows of his enormous palace. Today was a peaceful day in the Fire Nation. The sun was shining and not a cloud was to be seen in the sky. If the fire bending master were not trapped in such deep thought then he would be able to hear the laughter of the noble children playing in his courtyard. While all was peaceful outside the palace walls the young Fire Lord's mind was anything but calm.

It had only been three months since he had last seen his woman, but it felt like an eternity to the man. Katara, of the Southern Water Tribe, had gone on a journey to the North Pole to train and solidify her position as a water bending master. As tradition would have it in the Northern Water Tribe, she would have to withstand five months of grueling training and tests to earn the title "Master". She already had the skills necessary to become a master of the water bending arts, but she lacked the formal training and title. Katara had left Zuko out of necessity to earn that title.

The two young lovers had been courting for only a short while before she received word that her training was ready to begin. She left the next day while Zuko had been in the Earth Kingdom on a diplomatic assignment. He had not been there to see her off; which was something that bothered him even to this day, three months later. Love had blossomed quickly between the two young adults. To say that they were attached at the hip would be a large understatement. Whenever they were not attending to their respective duties they were together. Zuko and Katara both truly loved every moment they spent together, even if they were not doing anything particularly interesting.

It had been an interesting pairing, to say the least. They came from two very different walks of life and had at one time been sworn enemies. A year after the Century's War had ended Zuko had noticed his growing feelings toward Katara. He denied his heart at first, believing that he could never actually court the young water bender. After all, his relationship with Mai had turned out to be a complete bust. How could he first attain a relationship with this amazing woman, and, second, even if he did manage to begin courting her how could he possibly keep her as his? The situation surrounding them would not be contusive to their relationship. It could only end badly.

After all, the war had just ended and even though all the nations were at peace again if they began a relationship between the two of them it would be seen as fraternizing with the enemy by both the Fire Nation leaders and the Water Tribe nobles. On top of all that, Zuko had no idea how to approach Katara romantically. He was not very experienced in the matter. His relationship with Mai had just kind of happened. He would not be so lucky with Katara.

In the end, however, he had won Katara's heart, a feat that still amazed him to this day. He was amazed that she also held feelings for him, as faulted as he was. The bitterness in his heart evaporated the day they became romantically involved. He felt alive for the first time in his life. He was a changed man, seemingly overnight. The people around him saw the change, and, while they liked it, they were disturbed that one woman could affect him so greatly. Only his Uncle Iroh saw it for what it was: Love.

The Spirits had blessed him greatly with Katara. He could ask for no better woman in his life. He had lucked out to the highest degree. He had earned her trust and love.

Zuko smiled wistfully as he held a piece of cloth to his nose and inhaled it faint scent deeply, his eyes closing the moment her smell registered in his olfactory processes. Sighing yet again, he brought his right hand to his neck.

Around the Fire Lord's neck was a copper chain that held a small medallion symbolizing peace. Katara had taken to wearing it after the war's end, but had left it for him before she had gone off on her own mission. The member of the Southern water tribe had left it on his nightstand, and Zuko found it upon his immediate return from the Earth Kingdom. Without hesitation Zuko had put on the necklace and had not taken it off unless he was required to for one reason or another.

He had very little left to remind him of her after she had left for her training. The piece of cloth and the necklace were the two items that he treasured the most. At night he would sleep with the cloth close to his face, Katara's lingering smell lulling him into a motionless sleep that brought him little peace of mind. He would dream of her often and would wake to search for her in his bed even more often. It seemed that, even in his sleep, he missed her dearly.

The first few weeks of her absence had been the hardest so far. Zuko had never really loved a woman the way he loved Katara. It was a completely new experience for him to be separated from her completely. He could not go see her since it was required that she attend the training alone, save the water bending masters conducting her test. His mood slowly darkened and spiraled into depression at her leaving. Even the thought of her return in five months did nothing to bring him out of his misery. He was physically in pain even though nothing ailed him. It was a horrible sensation. He would have rather been shot through the heart by his sister Azula's lightning bolt than feel the pain he was experiencing.

Over the months, however, he grew accustomed to the pain. He learned to deal with it, but he still experienced that same pain from time to time. There was nothing he could do except faithfully wait for her return.

'_Katara, I miss you so much.'_ Zuko closed his eyes in emotional pain as he clenched the cloth trapped in his left hand. He had never expected her departure to cause him this much torment. Even the torment he felt from his father's banishment could not compare to what he was feeling. _'I have not seen you in three months, but it feels like a lifetime. The time is passing so slowly. I'm proud of you and what you are doing, but I want you back here in my arms where you belong. I'm lost without you, Katara. I don't even know what to do with myself anymore. I was so strong. I was so independent before you came into my life. Nothing could hurt me. How could your lack of a presence have such a massive effect on my life? I never expected to become so dependent on you. My love for you cannot be measured. I should feel happy that you will be home soon, but it feels so far away. You have affected me so deeply, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Without you, I would be the same bitter person I once was.'_

Without a destination in mind, Zuko began to walk the halls of his palace, which seemed as empty as his heart felt at the moment. Without his woman by his side his heart could not be full as it had been for the short time they had been together. He missed her with all of his being, which caused his emotions to become nearly drained.

Yet another sigh escaped Zuko's lips as he passed his personal sitting room, his mind's eye recalling the moment that they first kissed. His stare was filled with want and desire as his gaze remained on the love seat that bore witness to their first intimate moment. Her smiling face swam through his mind. Her beautiful, sparkling blue eyes holding immense joy as they looked upon his face. At that moment the scars of his past had simply melted away as easily as the ocean's tide carrying away a person's unwanted belongings. Only she had the ability to make him smile like a fool in love. His eyes were only for her.

"Good afternoon, Fire Lord Zuko. I hope have you have been well in my absence."

The Fire Lord turned with a sad smile to greet his Uncle. It was rare that he was able to see the only man he considered to be a father figure these days. Zuko's eyes held only pain and sadness as he walked over to hug the larger man.

Seeing Zuko in such pain was not an easy misfortune to bear for the Dragon of the West. Truly, he wanted to see his nephew smile once more as he had when Katara were still with him. Iroh wanted Katara back, as well, but her absence had not affected him like it had his closest family member. Zuko rarely smiled after Katara first departed, and when he did it was usually little more than a façade. The Fire Lord's smile had begun to return once again, but it lacked the luster it held a mere three months previous. Iroh sighed deeply as he embraced his nephew; it was one of those days that hit Zuko the hardest.

"Thank you, Uncle." Zuko broke his embrace with Iroh and held him at arm's length, smiling kindly at the older man. Another mask.

'_Oh, how my nephew tries to hide his pain when it is so obvious. Yes, Zuko, you truly do love her. Such pain can only be brought from being separated from the one you love. I am happy you have found a woman who can return your love, but it saddens me to see you in such a state.'_

Iroh silently looked his nephew over. It seemed as though the Fire Lord had not slept well in months, which was most likely the case for all he knew. Something similar had happened to him when he had lost his only child during the Century's War, but at least Zuko had the comfort of knowing that his beloved would return to him soon. Yes, he knew the pain of loss all too well, probably even more so than his nephew.

The elder man smiled genuinely in return to his kin's kindness and swung his arm so he was holding his hand out as if presenting Zuko to his own sitting room for the first time. "Come, Zuko. It has been too long since we have seen one another. Let us sit and share a cup of jasmine tea."

Zuko nodded slightly as his smile dropped and he led the way into the sitting room, immediately taking his position in the middle of the loveseat that Katara and he had spent so much time on.

"Tell me, Zuko," Iroh began as he stuck his finger under the already set up tea pot and fire bended a small flame underneath it, "How goes your first year as Fire Lord?" 

"It is not what I expected it to be, that's for sure." Zuko gave a small, thoughtful smile at the table in front of him as he began to twiddle his thumbs, a bad habit he had picked up during his first year as Fire Lord. He did not do this in front of anybody except his most trusted friends. He was not nervous. No, he did this as more of a way to help occupy his mind while he thought. "It seems that the new peace efforts are taking more of my time than my father's war efforts."

Nodding sadly, Iroh replied, "Ah. It is often much harder and takes much more work to retain peace than maintain war. This is but one of the many sad facts of life. How are you adjusting to your new life?"

Zuko watched as his uncle's gaze remained on the tea pot in front of him, concentrating deeply. The young Fire Lord seriously doubted that the older man was so deeply absorbed in the task of tea since it was second nature to him by now. He was gearing up for a serious discussion. So why was he stalling with idle conversation?

"I am adjusting well. It was a shock at first, but I adjusted quickly. I almost have my entire staff chosen at this point. It helps that Aang has been here almost continuously over the last year to help me out. Oddly enough, my quest to capture the Avatar has helped me in this position possibly more so than if I had been able to remain by my father's side."

Iroh looked up from his pot of nearly boiling water and smiled at the fellow master fire bender. "It taught you to think problems through for yourself instead of thinking like your father. You are much better suited for the position of Fire Lord than either Ozai or Azula."

"Uncle, what is the real reason for your visit? Surely, you did not travel so far to merely make small talk with your nephew." Zuko's eyes thinned slightly. While he had calmed down a great deal over the last year and a half, the Fire Lord still remained wary of the unknown. It was not that he distrusted his Uncle, but the man had a way of making him nervous that he was not overly fond of.

Iroh opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of the tea pot on the table in front of them whistling. Closing his mouth, the Dragon of the West merrily began to prepare the two of them a small cup of Jasmine tea. Handing the hot cup of tea to his nephew, Iroh finally began to speak.

"I have heard through the grapevine that you have not quite been yourself these past few months, Zuko." Iroh paused momentarily to take a small sip of his tea, sighing in pleasure as the hot liquid flowed smoothly down his throat. "Ah, that is good tea. Would you care to tell me of what plights you, Zuko?"

Golden, ember eyes unemotionally met those of his uncle's. How had word gotten out about his depression? He had hid it from his advisors, Aang, and the general public. Nobody should have known. He thought upon Iroh's statement for a few moments as he continued to stare into the only pair of eyes that seemed to be able to see directly into his mind, heart, and soul. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he realized his problem. The Fire Lord had always worn his emotions on his sleeve no matter how hard he tried to hide what he was really feeling. Aang probably saw his friend's anguish, but knew that he would not wish to speak of it. The young Avatar still held feelings for Katara, after all.

"I miss her, Uncle." Zuko's gaze shifted to the floor directly in front of him as he spoke to his uncle. It was still hard for him to open up to anybody about what he was feeling, other than his Southern Water Tribe beauty, of course. He had changed drastically over the past five months, but he had not changed that much. "She had to leave and I understand that. Her wish to become an official water bending master is not one that I would stop her from completing. To do so would be selfish and cruel. I am not that person anymore. But I want her back. My life has felt so empty without her by my side. I am but a shell of who I was when she was here. It's like Katara left, taking a piece of me with her. I know she will be back in two months, but that feels like an eternity to me."

Iroh nodded once in understanding.

"I understand your situation, Zuko. It is nothing to be ashamed of. You love Katara more than you ever expected you to. I know you well, Zuko." The man of subject looked up and met his uncle's knowing and wise gaze at his bold statement. "You have spent many years walling your heart off from those around you. This included your relationship with Mai. If I may be so bold I would venture to assume your relationship with Mai was ended because of your inability to open up to her and give her all of yourself?"

Zuko merely nodded in response. The memory of the end of his relationship with Mai was not painful, but he did feel badly for not being able to return the feelings she gave him freely. It had paid off in the end. He had ended up being with Katara in the end.

"Then you met a woman who was able to effortlessly bring those walls down. For the first time in many years you were able to love unconditionally. You changed as a result of that love. Your love for Katara has brought many changes to you and without her here you are not able to feel that same level of joy you once had when she was here. This is natural. You miss her more than you could ever describe. Your separation from her causes you great emotional, mental, and, most likely, physical pain. You truly do love the young girl, Zuko. I can see it in your eyes at this very moment. You both fully give yourselves over to the other. It is a beautiful thing that I have been without for many years, but at least I still have some family left to love… and my tea!"

Another small chuckle passed through Zuko's thin lips as he smiled at his uncle. All of the man's words were true, fueled by wisdom only gained through the harshest trials of life. The fire bender knew of the love that was taken from Iroh as a result of the Century's War. Though he took the loss of his son the hardest, he was still crushed by his late wife's demise by the hands of a terrible and incurable virus. He had just started his assault on Ba Sing Sei when he learned of her death. Part of his heart died that day, but he still pressed on. It was not until the death of his only son did the grief become too much for the great Dragon of the West to bear. He had come so far and had regained his ability to love once again. His uncle's strength both amazed and impressed the Fire Lord. Iroh was the strongest man he knew and would probably ever know.

"How do I deal with it, Uncle?"

"Sadly, you never really do. You learn to deal with the pain and make it bearable, but it never really goes away. If Katara were gone forever you would feel the pain of her loss until your death. Thankfully, she will return to you within two months' time. You will be reunited with her and your love will increase all the more. For the time being all you can do is faithfully wait on her and deal with the pain the best you can."

Zuko remained silent as he sipped his jasmine tea. He had learned over the years that drinking tea really could be a relaxing experience. However, he only drank it when his uncle made it since none of his servants could even come close to the quality of the tea the older man made. His attempts at making tea had produced even worse products. It was a rare treat to enjoy an activity as small as drinking tea and it was not one that he would ever take for granted again.

'_Katara, I miss you so much…and I love you more than I could ever describe. I would gladly die in your place without question. It pains me for you to be gone for a short time that feels like an eternity, but I will be strong for you. I will deal with this pain in my heart and I will continue to love you. You may not be here physically, but I can feel your spirit and your love here with me every day. I know what you are doing is important to you. You have my complete support no matter how much I want you here by my side, in my arms. I miss everything about you, but you will be home soon so, faithfully, I will wait. I love you more than you could ever know, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.'_

_**Faithfully, He Waits**_

**A/N**: I hope you enjoyed reading this, babe. I put my heart into this and it still cannot do my love for you any justice. I miss you and I love you. I am so proud of what you are doing. Words cannot express it. I also put in little snippets of our lives in there, but I'm sure you noticed that right away lol. I can't wait to see you again. Faithfully and impatiently, I will continue to wait for your return from you journeys across different states. This story is for you. I hope you like it.


End file.
